Snare Hanger
by led'or
Summary: Some unexpected twists in the 74th annual hunger games including unexpected visitors from Lima - District 6
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter one**

Gale sat on the boulder that jutted out over the woods somewhat precariously, his legs dangling over the edge. He imagined the scene from the Lion King, where Simba was told he owned all that light touched. Of course Gale had never seen this film himself; he only knew what his grandfather told him from when he had seen it, before the dark days.

Exposed high above the rest of district 12, Gale knew that he should be conscious of his surroundings, or at least consider the possibility of a Capitol hovercraft flying over head and spotting him; but to be completely honest, he had more thought consuming matters to deal with. You see Katniss Everdeen, his best friend and trusty hunting partner, had recently entered the hunger games on behalf of her little sister Prim, and the contestants in this years games were brutal. As if the contestants weren't awful enough, the other tribute from district 12 was blond haired, blue eyed baker boy Peeta Mellark, who has little skill in anything other than bread making and cake decorating, and by the looks of it, Haymitch Abernathy has meant for Katniss and him to team up, making her chances of survival questionable if not completely hopeless.

Out in the woods was Gales only time to be completely himself. He could shout, scream, cry and no one would be any the wiser, but he restrained himself because the mockingjays imitating him at times like these only made him feel week and helpless. Instead today, he let the tears slide silently down his face, wishing there was a way he could feel whole inside, he could feel happy again in the only place he belonged. Gale sifted through his thoughts one by one, the air being much purer here than in the seam enabled him to think more clearly.

He thought about his family, his brothers and baby sister Posy he would see face the reaping ball for many years into the future. How he could see their names being picked and him being able to do nothing about it, unlike Katniss because he was too old. Katniss. Catnip. Miss Everdeen. The one that got him. Just the thought of her made him smile a sad, watery smile. _Baker boy you better get your act together._

He thinks back to last night's recount of the games so far. It was too much for him to take so he left the room about half way through, claiming he needed some air, that the room was too stuffy. Gale recalls what he'd heard his brother talking to his mum about. How Peeta hadn't been shown at all that night, not even a mention, where as the others got a fair segment each, and the careers even more. Last night this meant nothing to him. But today he felt the anger rising up in him. He didn't trust the Capitol one bit. He knew that if they missed things out, even seemingly innocent things, something was going on.

Gale pondered on what the Capitol neglecting Peeta's game time could mean for what must have been hours. The sky was an orangey-pink colour by now and Gale had been in woods since noon. He knew he should be getting on home but he couldn't go home like this. Empty handed, tear stained and to what could be considered clean. He was meant to have been hunting after all.

Gale couldn't shoot like his hunting partner. No she was utterly spot on, straight between the eyes every time. He could manage a bow though, she'd taught him how when they first met in exchange for him teaching her about snares. Snares. That's what he needed to check. On the way to the various lines he had set, Gale attempted to hit a rabbit, a squirrel and a wild turkey but with no avail. It only left him exhausted from chasing after it and empty handed. On the upside he looked like he'd been at it all day because he was caked with mud from trying to locate his arrows.

As he approached one of his snares, even through the thick foliage and above the hubbub of the woods, he could hear a noise that was definitely not animal. A range of curses and grunts was being muttered from what could only be a human. No mockingjay could recite that realistically.

As Gale rounded the cluster of dense bushes he been stood behind, he saw he was right. It was a human. A man hanging from the snare by his feet, his hair grazing the ground, covered in leaves.

The intruder swung his head around, scooping debris on the forest floor into his mouth as he went. He face was the colour of beetroot and as he hastily spat out leaves, Gales jaw dropped.

The snare hanger was baker boy, Peeta Mellark.


	2. Chapter 2

Gale's mouth hung open, rubbing his eyes, not at all convinced he was seeing straight. What was Peeta Mellark doing hanging from a snare in the woods just outside district 12? He was meant to be in the hunger games with Gale's best friend. Had Peeta escaped and that was why he hadn't been mentioned in the recount? Were the Capital trying to cover it up and make it look like he was lost?  
Gale was about to let all these questions pour out of his mouth when a sneeze from the baker boy brought him back to reality. He should probably get Peeta back to standing before the interrogation began. Gale released the snare and Peeta fell to the ground with a thud, scooping up yet another hand full of leaves into his mouth.

Coughing and spluttering, Peeta was yanked to his feet by a pale faced Gale, which ushered him towards the dense bushes behind them. The idea that a hovercraft could appear at any moment suddenly scared Gale out of his wits now that a possible escapee was with him; knowing all to well what would happen if they were caught. He didn't let Peeta know this, instead covered it up with anger, which was quite fitting because the initial shock was warring off and fury was bubbling in like spring water.  
Gale fired all his questions as soon as the bushes safely concealed them, his head feeling slightly less clouded once he had done so. Peeta's replies were barely comprehensible, his voice extremely croaky and his throat parched. If Gale wanted answers, he would have to get water, having drained his skin on the rock earlier, he pulled Peeta up roughly by his arm, determined not to let this boy out of his sight. It was growing dark and they needed to find a spring. He loaded his bow and they set off at a steady pace, Peeta stumbling frequently. He was being roughly dragged along by his arm, and they weren't pausing for rest until they reached a water source.

Gale was more than a little uneasy on the way to the nearest spring. The forest was his home but right now he felt like an intruder. It was like every creature was staring at him with huge beady eyes, even on the smallest of things. As if they were tracking his every move. Almost, just almost, like he was in the games himself, with cameras trailed on the tributes. Peeta was having this effect on him. He couldn't fathom how he had got here. How he hadn't been killed on the way.

If he had been followed it would mean game over for Gale. No more hunting in the woods, no more freedom. He would probably be turned into an avox. And as for Peeta, well that was another story.

Peeta had shrugged off Gales grip and actually plunged into the water fully clothed before Gale had even realised they were there. This had not been Peetas best idea because he clearly couldn't swim. He was thrashing his legs around, his head occasionally going under, his arms flailing. Gale just sighed, peeled off his clothes down to his boxers and dived in.

Peeta resisted help, almost determined to drown. So the only thing for Gale to do was knock him out. He scooped his limp body onto the bank and climbed out after him. _Smart Move Gale._

Peeta was out cold in sopping wet clothes and the sun was dipping behind the horizon. He would catch hypothermia if he didn't get warm. Gale was fairly dry so he stripped Peeta of his torn, wet clothes; replacing them with his own. Lighting a fire to dry them and keep himself warm. Now all that Gale had to do was wait, again. A little longer and he would know.

He was about to settle down and get comfortable when Peeta stirred. He was a bit 'water logged' so Gale let him cough up all the water he could for what seemed like an age until Peeta finally gained control, propped himself up on his elbow, opened his mouth and began to talk.

"This is messed up. I went into the games to well... to die I guess and this happened." Peeta began gruffly. "Trust me I never wanted any of this. To leave Katn..." He broke off, emotion cutting into his voice. To Gale it was clear that Peeta wasn't just putting on an act to provide a good show. He actually felt something for her.

"Yes. I get that" Gale said somewhat shortly. "But how did you escape the arena? How were you not killed? How did you make it all the way to district 12?" He was desperate to understand the situation and after all his patience today; he needed answers.  
Peeta hacked up a little more water -though Gale couldn't see what was left to cough up apart from organs - and raised his hands as if to protect himself from Gales rapid demands. "Woah Gale. That's a lot of questions and I've been up since dawn. Let me sleep here, you can come back tomorrow and I'll tell you everything"

Gale could no longer control himself. "NO! YOU'LL TELL ME RIGHT HERE, RIGHT NOW! GOT IT? I'M NOT GOING ANYWHERE UNTIL YOU SPELL IT OUT IN FULL TECHNICOLOUR AND HELP ME UNDERSTAND WHY YOU'RE OUT HERE AND KATNISS IS FACING HER DEATH IN THERE!" Peeta was lying flat on his back in the dirt, with an almost naked Gale towering over him.  
"Okay." Peeta said meekly. "Okay. Where do I begin?" Gale loaded an arrow in his bow and swiftly took out a wild turkey that was running through the trees. He walked over to retrieve the bird and it was only then he realised the state he was in. "From how and when you escaped from the arena. I'll prep and cook the turkey while your speaking." Peeta nodded. "Oh and can I have my clothes back? Yours should be dry by now."

Peeta pulled off Gales top and replaced it with his own. As he continued getting changed. He began.


	3. Chapter 3

"Look Gale, I don't understand how I got here, what happened in the Arena is jumbled and I…. Oh d'you know what? You're just going to keep pushing every last detail out of me anyway, so I'll start from the moment we entered the Arena" Gale nodded, pleased that Peeta was actually about to divulge everything. He crossed his legs by the fire and wriggled 'till he was comfortable. A pained expression crossed Peeta's face he opened his mouth and Gale was launched into a world of tributes, strange pebbles and beady eyes.

"The tube rose up slowly, revealing lush green forest and sparkling azure water all around. I stumbled out onto the sand as soon as those sixty seconds of terror had passed; blinded by the sunlight as it reflected off the water. I couldn't see Katniss at all, but I came to the conclusion that each tribute had a strip of sand leading out from the Cornucopia, so she must have been behind the metal monstrosity. I saw other tribs running up to the Cornucopia, claiming their weapon or pack of 'survival'. Screams of anguish penetrated my ears and streams of red and peachy flew across the scene in front of me. The blood bath had begun and I was a prime target. Alone on my strip with nothing to defend myself with apart from my wit, and completely unable to swim; I was literally a sitting duck.

Two shadowy figures lumbered a long side the Cornucopia, hindered by both their fitness (and lack of it) and the weight of death on their axes. They rounded the corner and got a clear view of me, cowering and defenceless on my strip; they both picked up the pace, walking at a slight angle to keep a look out at other possibilities. I could see their mouths forming sick sadistic smiles as they turned round to face me full on; only they didn't get anywhere near me, nor get the chance to turn fully for they were greeted by arrows between the eyes and fell to the ground simultaneously. That could only mean one thing. Katniss. Only Katniss could deliver an arrow that quickly and between the eyes was her signature. I turned to face the direction the arrows came from and sure enough, there she was, sprinting towards me, her braid flowing behind her; closely followed by blonde fisher boy Finnick Odair.

She bounded up to me, clearly relieved that I hadn't succumbed to the mass killings. I threw my arms around her, only to be knocked backwards into the water.

I thrashed around, arms flailing and legs beating wildly. I was literally in a blood bath; the water was a vivid red, an arm had just floated past me and I could feel things brushing against my feet, circling me. Deep lungful's of water caused me to cough and splutter and occasionally duck below the water to meet the dark beady eyes of the creatures waiting just a while longer before they went in for the kill. Their weird contorted slimy bodies resembled nothing I'd ever seen before but if they were going to eat me, they were going to eat me. I couldn't change that. The real issue was the fact I was drowning; and that fisher boy and Katniss were fighting a man - a career almost double their height - armed with a weapon that he knew extremely well, whilst I watched helplessly from the water.

My eyes were on them, and only them. My heart thudded, beating to keep myself alive, and for Katniss. The career was weakening; each swing of his pointed weapon made him tired and his opponents were doing their best to keep him on his toes. I felt a jolt on my shoulder and braced myself for the worst. I'd vaguely taken control of my arms and legs but now a cruel capital mutt, trained to wait until everything was getting better before striking, was going to kill me. But then it came again, the same jolt on my shoulder. I slowly turned, and instead of a vicious snarling serpent, a pair of kind green eyes and a gummy smile faced me. She poked my navel and a tire of air filled up around me so I no longer had to struggle or fight to keep my head above the water. She took me by the hand, and despite her age and the fact she was swimming with one arm, she was an excellent swimmer. We washed up on shore and I basked in the sun, trying to dry off. I frequently coughed up water and was becoming a little less sodden, whilst Mags gathered vines and began weaving.

Finnick and Katniss eventually emerged from the water too, exhausted and hungry. Finnick had collected various sea foods, and in a pot Mags had woven from some vines, he boiled them over a fire. We feasted on the deliciously salty food, and since every other tribute apart from us had either been killed or was deep in the forest; we could actually enjoy the peaceful evening, admire the pinks and yellows of the sky and marvel at the glorious moonlight as if we didn't have a care in the world.

That night Katniss and I fell asleep intertwined, relishing every moment together, both caught up with the promise of the others life, but that was when I saw it. Out of the corner of my eye, I could see a small jet black pebble glistening in the moonlight amongst the discarded shells of tonight's dinner. It was beautiful. Katniss was fast asleep so I gently pulled away, kissing the top of her head and smoothing her hair as I did so.

I crawled over to the shells, the sand still warm on my palms. From a distance it looked like a darker version of the pearl I had given her earlier. The pearl that was so much more than it's iridescent surface. It was my promise to her, a quieter confession of my love and the entire truth behind every word I said. And I think she understood that too.

I reached out and clasped the pebble. Only to find it cold. It wasn't rock, it was metal. I didn't come away into my hand either; it lay exactly where it was, refusing to budge. I swiped the shells away in order to get a closer look, and the metal made its self all the more apparent. It was round on top but a metal pole stretched from it and deep into the sand. It looked like a poker, or a skewer or an extra-long door handle… No.. it couldn't be.. could it? I pulled hard upwards, both hands around the lump. I pushed with all my might. Still nothing was happening. Maybe it was just a piece of metal from before they turned this place into an Arena. I gave it one last kick and turned back to Katniss only to be greeted by a rectangular shaft of nothingness between the two of us. Where the hell did that come from? I crouched down, leaning on my arms to stop myself from toppling over. I peered cautiously down into it but could see nothing. I tried chucking the shells down to hear how deep the shaft was but I still couldn't make sense of it. As if the moon had been watching my movements, as I was reaching for the lever to close it up, it sprang out from behind a cloud, revealing a long metal ladder running down the wall opposite. I walked round and reached down to touch the ladder. It was solid and in good repair, obviously still in use. I stretched my hand out to feel the wall, it brushed upon something raised. I got down on my stomach and with both hands, rubbed the sign clean. It read_: TESTING IN PROCESS. ENTER AT YOUR OWN RISK_. It was like it was leering at me, daring me to come closer. If something says don't enter or danger, people are more likely to go anyway weren't they? I wasn't about to find out what was down there. It was all too strange for me. Too puzzling so late at night and I was positive I wasn't mean to find the lever or the ladder, or see the sign. I hurriedly kicked the lever in the opposite direction and the hole closed without so much as a creak. The lump of metal went back into the sand. It was so small and so well disguised that it was merely a pebble on the beach. If someone had taken the time to camouflage it like that, I certainly wasn't meant to know about what was down there.

All I could do was pray the cameras had been trained on some juicy battle elsewhere and not on me.


End file.
